Burberry Handbags Kostner will carry torch befor

ROME She won compete, but the recently retired Isolde Kostner will still have a small role in the upcoming Winter Olympic in Turin.

A day after she announced her sudden retirement, organizers Wednesday asked Burberry Handbags the top women downhill skier in Italian history to carry the Olympic torch through he Burberry Handbags r hometown of Ortisei on Jan. 25.

The 30 year old Kostner, known as is retiring because she is pregnant.

Ortisei is located in Val Gardena in the heart of the Dolomite mountain range. A day after passing through Ortisei, the torch will be brought over a couple of mountain passes

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ROME She won compete, but the recently retired Isolde Kostner will still have a small role in the upcoming Winter Olympic in Turin.

A day after she announced her sudden retirement, organizers Wednesday asked the top women downhill skier in Italian history to carry the Olympic torch through her hometown of Ortisei on Jan. 25.

The 30 year old Kostner, known as is retiring because she is pregnant.

Ortisei is located in Val Gardena in the heart of the Dolomite mountain range. A day after passing through Ortisei, the torch will be brought over a couple of mountain passes to Cortina d to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games held there.

Cortina native Kristian Ghedina will carry the torch in his hometown.

The 36 year old Ghedina, still Italy top male downhiller, was planning to retire at the end of this season. But after three straight top 10 World Cup finishes, he is rethinking his plans.

continue to be among the best and my confidence is building as a consequence, he said.

Paralympics expandBode Miller put on a one ski show at last season world championships. But single ski racers are the norm at the Paralympics.

The IX Winter Paralympics are scheduled for March 10 19 in Turin, with 534 athletes lined up from a record 41 countries.

these athletes really moves me. The desire they show in their effort to make it to the finish line and for victory is extraordinary, Fabio Capello, coach of Italy top soccer club, Juventus, said Monday at the Paralympics presentation.

champions really embody the spirit of the pure athlete. games will be held in the same city and Alpine facilities used for the Olympics. Besides Alpine skiing, the other sports are ice sledge hockey, Nordic skiing (which includes biathlon) and wheelchair curling for the first time.

There will be two Paralympic villages, one in Turin and another in Sestriere, 58 medals up for grabs and 3,000 volunteers.

Capello brought his entire Juventus team with him to the presentation. Also attending were Italian Winter Olympics gold medalists Alberto Tomba, Stefania Belmondo, Manuela Di Centa and Piero Gros.

Alvise De Vidi, who has won nine athletics medals over five Paralympics since an errant dive made her a quadriplegic, also was in the crowd. So was Orazio Fagone, who grew up in Turin and won a gold medal as part of Italy four man team in the 5,000 meter short track speedskating relay at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.